Acetylene generator



Mach :4. 1925. 1,531,187

' A. F. JENKINS ACETYLENE GENERATOR Fild ME. 27. 1919 M 0 a z a o a a u. :i G a 4 z i if if 1 31 z :2 2 u. a 1.

Patented Mar. 24, 1925.

UNITED i STATES PATENT: i OFFICE.

ALEXANDER r. JENKINS, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ACETYLENE GENERATOR.

Application fil ed December 27, 1919. Serial No. 347,719.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, ALEXANDER F. JEN- KINS, a citizen of the United States, and re siding at Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in "Acetylene Generators, of which the followinglsa specification.

The general object of this invention is to provide an improved acetylene generator, that is, an improved gas generating apparatus in. whichcalcium carbide is treated with water to prodnce acetyljene gas for The invention a ing devices and means for the automatic removal of sludge. Another'purpose of the invention is to provide an apparatus which is considerably smaller than similar devices of equal gas generatingcapacity heretofore designed or suggested, thereby increasing its portability andrendering it suitable for installation in convenient places from which these devices have in the past, byreason of f tatable shaft 20, the axis of the shaft being their large size,fbeen barred. This decrease in size is accomplished in the main by supplying to the generating chamber only a sufficient amount of water' to react with the carbide. The water is drawn from a source ofsupply, such as a city main, through a pipe, and the usual large capacity water tank or reservoir is dispensed with. The carbide and water "are fed in proportionate amounts and, x as means is provided for removing the sludge and waste water, water is presentin the chamber only in such volume as is necessary for efiiciently reacting with the carbide. 1 V

One embodiment of the invention will be described in the following specification in connection with the accompanying draw-- ingsin which Figure 1; is a central longitudinalsection through the gas generating apparatus; and Figure 2 is a similar sectionv taken at right angles to the section shown. in Figure 1. o

The apparatus illustrated comprises an elongated tank arranged in an upright positlon, the interior of the tank serving as the gas generating chamber and containing the mechanism for combining in proper proportions the carbide and water. As shown in the drawings, the cylindrical. tank 10, preferablyof sheet metal, has a head 11 and two separate and distinct bottoms 12 andlifi, which are conveniently cone shaped, and which have orifices 14 and 15 at their lowest points. Thehead 11 is provided with an opening through whichcarbide is inserted into the tank the opening beingnormally closed by the removable screw plug 16. An

additional opening is also provided in the head through which a water. pipe 17 connected to any suitable source of supply passes, the water pipeextending for a con siderable distance toward the bottom of the generating chamber and having a downwardly directed delivery orifice.

This water supply pipe 17 passes through the carbide hopper 18 which, as shown, is also substantially conical in shape, its upper edges being secured to the wall of the tank and a slot ororifice 19 being provided at its lowermost point through which the carbide is adapted to pass, in the operation of the generator. Extending transversely across the generating chamber is a horizontally arranged rodirectly below and parallel with the edges of theorifice 19. Upon this shaft are fixed the water wheel-21 which is directly below the discharge orifice of the water supply pipe 17 the carbide feeding drum or cylinder 22 which isldisposed beneath the orifice 19 and is of such diameter that its uppermost surface is'close to and immediately below the carbide orifice19, and the toothed wheel 23 positioned between the feeding drum and the water wheel. This arrangement is such, as can be readily seen from Figure 2, that when water issues from the supply pipe 17 and impinges on the vanes of the water wheel, the latter will be rotated, thereby causing the rotation ofthe shaft 20 and the rotation of the feeding drum and the toothed wheel fixedly mounted thereon.

The construction of the carbide orifice 19 is such that when the feed drum or cylinder 22 is stationary a small amount of the carbide will issue therefrom and pile up on the top of the feed drum in such a Way as to prevent the further discharge 0t carbidethrough the orifice. However, if the feed is rotated in the direction of the arrow ure 2) it will be seen that-the small quantity of carbide 011 the upper side of the feed drum will be thrown off and that, so long as this feed drum or cylinder is rotated, no further piling up of the carbide in front of the orifice 19 will be possible and a continual supply of the carbide will be withdrawn from the hopper 18. In other words; this carbide feeding mechanism" operates only when Water is passing down the pipe 1'? to actuate the Water Wheel.

The Water after passing" over the Water Wheel 21 falls to the bottom: of the tank Where it is retained until a predetermined volume is collected; by a ball valve 2% which normally seats in: the orifice let, and the movements ofwhich are controlled by a float 25, of ordinary construction,which is con nected' thereto; It canbe seent'hat nowater will pass through the orifice let unless the- Wat'er level is raised to such a point that the float 25 will lift the valve 24: ofl of its seat and that the flow issuing will onlv endnre'so long as the'float maintains t'lieball valve 2-3 off of itsseat, As a consequence there-is always a considerablequantity of water in the bottont of the generating chamber; and the Water is always of such a'= dhptli' that completely s'ubmerges a ivire screenflfi Wlii ch is designed and constructed to catcl'r the carbid'e which falls from above and to retain the samethereon unt'il ithas ceased-'to evolve'gas andhas become':sludge; After the gas producing? qualiti qof the carbide ha've'beci'r ex hausted, it" rain to" the-bottom of the gen erating chamber and, when the valve 24 has been raised, this sludge passes out with the excess Water into the chamber below.

The orifice 15 in the bottom 13 of this lower chamber is controlled by a ball valve 27'connectedtto afloat 28 so that there is always a definite volume of Water in this- 1ower chamber, and when an excess of water intermingled with sludge is received therein from the generating chamber," the float 28* will raise thevalve 27' from its seat and a corresponding volume" of Water will pass through the orifice 15 and into the Waste pipe 29 A service pipe-30 communicates with the upper end of the generating" chamber andthrouglr this pipe the gases generated are" conducted away. To thetop 11 of t-heta'nlt' is connected" 0.. diaphr-agnr pressure respon sive' device 81' of Wellknown typahaving 'a stem 32 which moves vertically in response to variations inthe pressure 0tthegas'con tained in the tank. A lever 38 pivoted at 34' to a bracket rigidly connected to themember -31 connectsithe member'i-BQI to the armw35 of a valve" 36" which controls the flow of Water through the Water inlet pipe The pressure nesplonsive device 31 is'so d'esigncd and the member 32 is so connected to the val've36 that the latter will be opened to admit more Water to' thegenerating chamber when the pressure therein has fallen below a predetermined amount or value and will close the valve Whenever the pressure in the chamber isgreater than this predetermined amount.

In order to pi'event'excessive genelationof gas with consequent dangerous pressure in the" tank and system due, to some acciden t by which the amount of Water supplied to tliecyliiideris' too great; I provideaf safety locking device which looks the shaft against rotation when the Water level in the generating chamber has arisen above a predetermined point. (This-safety device is also designed to stop the feeding of carbide in case: the slildge valves should lealt and not maintain the waterat a proper level" in the generating chamber. This safety locking device'comprisesa, stop 37 pivotallv connect' ed at 38 to a bracket 39 fastened to the in'- ner'uall'ot theeylindenone arm of thestop beingpivotialllv connected by means ot'a rod 40 to a float) $311 If the Water level rises, due to the sticking of the valve 2 1-, or'anv other accidental cause, the'float 41' will move upwardllx thereby 'tbrcin'gthe upperend" otthe' stop 37 into one oftlicnotchesofthe'toothed whee and preventing:tlierota'titmot' the feed drum, and cutting oil the snpplj. of carbide: An additional arm'l-Q provided which operates to engage;- and lock againstrotat'ion, tlieivheol23 when the Water level in the) generating chamber h as fallen "below the desi red" p oin t. In other \vo rds; th i s--l och ing; meohan'isn'i will st'opthe operation of the generator"whenever the supply of wateris too reat or'too small, but will automatically restore it to operative condition whenever the normal conditions arerestored.

It" will be seen frOHtthG above desoripti on that I have provided a generator which is simple; compact and practicallv autoi'natio in" ail respects Byremoving the=plug 16 in thctop ofthe' tank and connectingrthe carbidehopper 'ls'toone otlarger size or one which is continuously filled,- the generator will operate tor lon'giperiodsot time inasmuch asthe fresh Water is supplied automatically and thensedWrater and sludge is removed" automatically. T liispresent inthe generating chamber of my; gas generatingdeviceonlv'a sufficient" amount of water toei'iiciently react wit-lithe ca lcium carbide and the large reservoirstor' water so com monly used in generators of thiscl assis:done away with: The: moving: parts are simple and quite unlikely to become out ofl order; while the occurrence of excessive pressures in;v thetank? and systenr is fully guarded against by the provision of the safety locking device for the carbide feed. No manual means is required toaetuate thecarbidc feed, the water introduced 'for the purpose of moistening the carbide also performing the work of feeding the carbide, as it falls to the bottom of the chamber. A single pressure responsive device serves to regulate both the wvater and the carbide feed and, in general,

the simplicity, compactnessand safety of my improved generator, combined with its automatic features, renders it particularly at tractive and advantageous from a practical standpoint.

. sludge in case the apparatus should become I clogged. By shutting oif'the water through pipe 17 and opening the valve 51 the carbide feed will stop and the sludge valves 24, 27, will open permitting a thorough washing of the lower part of the apparatus.

lIaving thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an acetylene generating apparatus the combination with a generating tank, of

means for feeding water and carbide thereinto, including a rotary carbide feeding member, a water wheel, operatively connected thereto, a feed water conduit having its orifice adjacent the water wheel whereby said wheel and the carbide feeding member a re operated by the energy of the feed water entering the tank, and means responsive to the water level for locking the carbide feeding member against rotation when the level of the water in the tank rises above a predeterminedpoint. I I t 2. In a gas generating and storage tank, means for introducingwater into the tank, means operated by said admission of water for admitting a proportionate amount of (Itlll'JlClG, and means responsive to the water level for positively locking said carbide admitting means against movement, when the water in the tank is below a-predetermined level.

3. In a unitarygas generating and storage tank, means for introducing water into the tank, means operated by the admission of water for feeding a proportionate amount of carbide, and means responsive to the water level for positively preventing the admission of the carbide when the level of the water rises above a predetermined point.

tIn a unitary gas generating and storage tank, pressure responsivemeans for introducing water into the tank, a continuously rotatable carbide feeding drum operated by said admission of water, and means responsive to the level of the water in the tank for locking said drum against rotation.

I 5. In a unitary gas generating and storage tank, means for introducing water into theqtank, a continuously rotatable member operated by the admission of the water and adapted to feed a proportionate quantity of carbide, and means responsive to thewater level for positively locking said carbide feeding member against movement when the water level in the tank rises above a predetermined point or falls below a predetermined point.

6. In a gas generating apparatus, the combination with a generating chamber having anopening therein for the introduction of carbide and an opening for the removal of water and sludge, of means for introducing water into said chamber, automatic meansfo-r controlling said water introducing means whereby water is allowed to flow into the chamber when the gas pressure becomes lower than a predetermined value and prevented from entering the chamber when the gas pressure becomes higher than a predetermined value, automatic means for bringing fresh carbide into contact with water in the generating chamber when the gas pressure becomes lower than a predetermined value, said means being inoperative when the pressure becomes greater than a predetermined value, automatic means for controlling the flow of water and sludge from said chamber, and automatic means for locking the carbide controlling means against movement when an excess of water is present in said chamber.

7. In a unitary acetylene generator and storage tank, means for introducing water into the generating chamber, means comprising a continuously rotatable drum for automatically feeding the carbide to said chamber and a stop for the carbide feed, said stop being controlled by a float adapted toprevent the feeding of carbide when the water in the chamber is either above or below predetermined limits.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALEXANDER F. JENKINS. 

